Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America. In fact, every 36 seconds (yes, about once every TV show commercial), one American dies from cardiovascular disease, according to the latest data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
While it clearly can be fatal, a lot of Americans bounce back after a heart attack or continue to live life long after a diagnosis with an arrythmia, partially-blocked arteries, or another form of heart disease.
But a new American Heart Association (AHA) study published in the journal Circulation found that the majority of these individuals with cardiovascular disease also share another common condition – sleep apnea – and both of these conditions can make the other worse.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) happens when an upper airway is obstructed, which leads to a disruption in breathing. Beyond these lapses in breathing while asleep, symptoms including snoring, difficulty staying asleep, and daytime sleepiness.
Risk factors for OSA somewhat overlap with heart disease risk factors. OSA is much more likely among people who are obese, have a large neck circumference, any craniofacial abnormalities, smoke, have a family history for sleep apnea, or suffer from nighttime nasal congestion. Those who have OSA-diagnosed or not, are at greater risk for several cardiovascular complications, the AHA researchers say:
- High blood pressure
- Heart rhythm disorders
- Stroke
- Worsening heart failure or coronary artery disease
- Heart attack
- Type 2 diabetes
- Metabolic syndrome
As a result of these findings, the study authors recommend that cardiologists prescribe a sleep study to screen for OSA. Patients at risk include those with heart disease and tough to control hypertension, and heart rhythm issues that recur even after treatment. The person who has heart failure, especially if he or she is sleepy during the day or notices sleep-disordered breathing, patterns, is also at risk.
The researchers explain that an OSA diagnosis might directly impact all of those who have these overlapping conditions, but “the high prevalence of OSA among people with cardiovascular disease, along with evidence that OSA treatment improves patient quality of life, is reason to screen and provide treatment,” according to the statement writing group.
With the proper treatment, which often includes a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine, “patients report better mood, less snoring, less daytime sleepiness, improved quality of life and work productivity,” says Chair of the scientific statement writing group Yerem Yeghiazarians, M.D. He is also a professor of medicine and the Leone-Perkins Family Endowed Chair in Cardiology at the University of California, San Francisco.
Plus, you might not even need to visit a sleep lab for that study.
“Screening advances have changed how we diagnose and treat obstructive sleep apnea. For example, many patients do not have to go to any overnight sleep study center anymore. There are now sleep devices approved by the FDA that patients use at home and send back to their doctor for assessment,” Dr Yeghiazarians says.
Whether you already have a diagnosed form of heart disease or not, talk to your doctor if you notice any of the symptoms of sleep apnea noted above. Because a long, healthy, well-rested life (and what happens after we get a good night of sleep!) is something we all deserve to experience.
“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”
- Thomas A. Edison
“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.”
- Mahatma Gandhi
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